A center high-mount brake-light system for a motor vehicle, comprising a plurality of selectively-illuminatable lights arranged to define each of a center section comprising at least one of the plurality of lights, and at least two outer sections disposed on either side of the center section. A controller is operative to selectively illuminate the plurality of lights of the center and at least two outer sections in response to changes in the rate of travel of the vehicle and/or actuation of the vehicle's brakes, and whereby the plurality of lights are characterized by at least the following illumination states: (a) an illumination state in which the lights of each of the center and at least two outer sections are illuminated in their entireties in response to actuation of the vehicle's brakes; (b) an illumination state in which illumination of the lights of each of the at least two outer sections ceases or diminishes perceptibly relative to illumination of the center section after a predetermined period of time following actuation of the vehicle's brakes if there has been less than a predetermined amount of vehicle deceleration; and (c) an illumination state in which increasing numbers of the plurality of lights of each of the at least two outer sections are progressively illuminated in response to corresponding and progressively increasing amounts of vehicle deceleration above a predetermined threshold.